Women in Construction Week Feature

National Women in Construction Week (March 1-7) is a time to highlight female
construction game-changers and their influential role in the industry. In the
spirit of this, I spoke with some powerful figures I’ve come across during my
time in the business. We’re proud to have had the opportunity to speak with
such influential figures. As many of our interviewees mentioned, the support
component of female advancement is huge. We can truly see our strongest growth
through lifting each other higher.

Today’s interviewees are some unique ladies who have touched major
accomplishments in their careers.

First, Hillary Leo, a Project Manager with Starbucks, offers strategic
planning and construction oversight in new store and renovation construction
projects. Working previously with Hillary, I witnessed her grasp on the
industry first hand, and her responses to our interview questions highlight her
flair.

How can women gain a seat at the traditionally male-only construction
table? What practices can gain women an equal presence/regard in the industry?

I think the main obstacle is gaining respect. Once you are respected, the traditional
gender roles and expectations seem to be much less important than who you are
and what a great job you do on a daily basis.
Instead of trying to be masculine and domineering, something that
wouldn’t come naturally to me, I try to stand out by being more of myself and
utilizing my own strengths to gain the respect of people around me. One great way to do this is to ask informed
questions—this is important because it shows your knowledge base while still
being able to admit when you don’t know enough about something but would like
to know more. I have always found that
when you appeal to people on a person to person level and ask them to help you
understand something, they are eager to help bring you along and respect you
for it.

What are some examples of moments where you felt being a woman in a
male dominated project/situation provided a unique value?

I feel that as a woman, there are certain traits more common in women
that I have been able to leverage throughout my career to be more competitive
in a male-dominated industry and set myself apart. I use my eye for detail on a daily basis to
ensure that we are creating a quality product.
I also leverage my communication skills to ensure everyone involved in
the project feels included and informed throughout the process. I also use my empathy to better understand
problems when they arise. The
combination of these traits gives me a unique approach to problem solving and
often helps to find solutions that wouldn’t necessarily otherwise be possible.

How do we get to the point of breaking the male-only stigma
associated with a construction career?

I am a big proponent of STEM in schools and providing girls with
options in STEM at a young age. That
way, girls who have a natural interest in it will be provided opportunities to
explore those interests and hopefully go into the industry. Personally, I try to be the exception to
biased expectations every day. I always
try to be a good example when I am on site by doing the best that I can, which
hopefully will be noticed by the people with doubts about women in the industry
and eventually change minds one person at a time.

Who is a woman that inspires you through their achievements in the
construction realm? What traits do you believe have helped them become
successful?

I really respect Sheryl Palmer, CEO of the home builder Taylor Morrison. She doesn’t focus on the difficulty of being
a woman in a male-dominated field, but instead has used her different
perspective to bring more to the table and rise to the top. I find it very inspiring.

Why do you believe the world needs more women in construction?

I think that we should provide more opportunities for girls and women
to discover a natural interest in construction.
Women bring a different perspective to projects and I think they are
certainly an asset to the construction industry.

Cheers to that. Our next leading lady, Angie Kopach, is a close
connection of mine from the Blue Book Building & Construction Network.
Angie is a resource for all trades, suppliers, general contractors, and
facility managers seeking to connect and expand business opportunities through
networking. One of her goals is to be an indispensable driver of success in the
construction industry, and I have seen first hand her victories connecting our
team with new service providers required for a project’s scope. I was thrilled
that she was able to find some time in her travels to share her thoughts.

How can women gain a seat at the traditionally male-only
construction table? What practices can gain women an equal presence/regard in
the industry?

Regardless of all the changes in how we conduct business compared to
years ago, there are some things that will always remain the same – the value
of relationships, integrity, and hard work. To build lasting relationships,
it’s helpful for everyone on a team to have different strengths. This really
opens the doors for women to become a strong part of every group dynamic.
Clearly demonstrating the value of a woman’s contribution is huge.

What are some examples of moments where you felt being a woman in a
male dominated project/situation provided a unique value?

Women today are really offering a different perspective to
understanding needs as well as troubleshooting and looking at opportunities
through a distinctive lens. We’re able to bring some great strengths to the
table. Also, women’s unique ability to nurture and grow relationships is
something I’ve noticed first hand recently. There are many doors into an
organization to build those relationships and women have been making their way
into some hard to open doors.

How do we get to the point of breaking the male-only stigma
associated with a construction career?

I think we were able to break the stigma by being involved at every
level whether it’s preconstruction, engineering, or simply making a personal
connection between a subcontractor and a GC at the right time. We’ve really
been able to break the stigma by bringing our value and developing what we are
able to contribute to the team every day.

Who is a woman that inspires you through their achievements in the
construction realm? What traits do you believe have helped them become
successful?

There’s a few great women in general contracting firms that I could
speak to in regards to inspiring me but the one thing that the handful of women
that I’m thinking of bring to the table is that you wouldn’t know that they’re
in a leadership position. They simply lead where they’re at.

Why do you believe the world needs more women in construction?

I think there’s some great opportunities for women in construction in
this world today and I look forward to seeing how we’re going to continue to
impact it.

As women continue to break barriers in a previously uncommon career
path, a “can-do” attitude can be the key to reversing stereotypes. Thank you to
our interviewees, who are excellent examples of modern women moving us forward.